Despite his victory over Eddie Alvarez at BKFC 56, Mike Perry is not satisfied that the opponent only lasted two rounds. Hungry for a fight that can last until the end, the “King of Violence” called out Anthony Pettis in hopes the fighter would be interested in a bare-knuckle fight without quitting.
Perry had a quick win against Alvarez in their BKFC 56 bout, with the two fighters making fast shot exchanges in the ring. Alvarez sent numerous punches to Perry, who did the same to him. However, Perry’s shots apparently were more effective, with Alvarez having to talk with his cornermen by the end of the second round. After this, his team decided to end the bout due to the fighter’s swollen left eye.
Despite his win and prediction that it would be a fast fight, Perry shared that he felt a bit of frustration that the opponent didn’t last long. When asked about whether he respects Alvarez now, Perry chose to be neutral.
“Yes and no,” Perry said during the BKFC 56 post-fight press conference. “Because it still was another second-round victory. There was three more rounds in regulation and not to mention the sudden death. I live for this s***. I want all of it. I want somebody just like me, who can meet me in the middle for five two-minute rounds.
“I want a fight that’s going to give me those five f****** rounds of hell. It’s easy to talk but I just did it and I was just warming up. Four minutes, I was just getting started. There was six more minutes of hell I had to bring out. I was ready; I was just getting going.”
Perry’s win attracted the attention of fellow bare-knuckle boxers in the promotion company, including Luis Palomino and David Mundell. However, the King of Violence has other names on his mind, sharing his next match should have an opponent who will help him draw more attention to the BKFC. With that, Perry stressed that the fighter should “have a certain amount of followers, a certain amount of hits on social media, on the internet, that are going to get people to tune in.”
Perry has always been eyeing Conor McGregor, but the Irish man has a specific agreement with the UFC that makes the cross-over impossible. Nonetheless, Perry has another name in mind that will likely accept the challenge: Anthony Pettis.
“One name that didn’t come to mind that did mention before I fought Alvarez was Anthony Pettis,” Perry said. “I think that’s an amazing fight. He just beat Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match. I think he’s intrigued by the bare-knuckle aspect.
“I know that there’s huge opportunities. We’re creating some even. I said I want Anthony Pettis because he said he wants it and he’s ‘Mr. Showtime’ and he’s flashy. But I also want a fight that isn’t going to quit.”
Fighting the former UFC and WEC lightweight champion is doable for Perry, as Pettis himself has always been vocal about exploring other sports other than MMA. In March, Pettis encouraged fellow fighters to “be willing to take that risk” and not to “be so fixated on one path.” Now, after making a mark in the boxing industry, the fighter will reportedly return to the MMA soon. With Perry’s invitation, nonetheless, Pettis might take a detour to try bare-knuckle boxing first.
